The present invention relates to a feeding device, and more particularly to a device for feeding a powdered material.
Preparing a hot coffee or a cold drink at the rest time is delightful. Nevertheless, various drinks are prepared from powdery materials which always are stored in containers which must contain therein spoons and need be opened and re-closed during preparing procedures of drinks which therefore are sometimes tedious.
In order to overcome the above shortcoming, a quantitative feeding device 12 is proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,399 and as shown in FIGS. 1-3 is mounted under a drink powder vessel 11 fixed in a drink-preparing apparatus 10. Feeding device 12 includes a handle 13, a powder stimulating member 14, a spring 15, a valve member 16, a tubular portion 17 and an elliptical plate 19. By controlling elliptical plate 18 to be whether contacting with the inner wall of tubular portion 17 by handle 13, one can control the quantity of the powser passing through elliptical plate 18. Such device 12, however, is experienced to have the following disadvantages:
1. Since elliptical plate 18 is inclinedly contacted with the inner wall of tubular portion 17 and the contact surface therebetween always cannot be maintained in an air-tight condition, the moisture contained in the air can easily pass therethrough to moisten and harden the powder in tubular portion 17. Although stimulating member 14 can crack a mass of moisten powder thereabove, it acts no purpose for a mass of hardened powder between members 14 and 16.
2. If device 12 has not been used for a longer period of time, it is difficult to turn the valve member 16 or elliptical plate 18 since a mass of powder 19 is moistened and hardened thereabove, as shown in FIG. 4.
3. It is inaccurate to control the quantity of powder falling down from tubular portion 17 by the time of opening elliptical plate 18. The situation will become worse if the powder in tubular portion 17 is moistened or hardened.
4. After handle 13 is actuated, spring 15 will urge elliptical plate 18 to contact with the inner wall of tubular portion 17 to thus produce a noise, if handle 13 is released.
It is thereforeattempted by the Applicant to deal with the above shortcomings encountered by the prior art.